A Feeding Trial to Investigate Strategies to Mitigate the Impacts of Pimelea Poisoning in Australian Cattle

• Published in: Journal of agricultural and food chemistry Vol. 72; no. 28; pp. 15572 - 15585
• Main Authors: Hungerford, Natasha L., Ouwerkerk, Diane, Gilbert, Rosalind A., Loh, Zhi Hung, Gordon, Russell J., Silva, Luis F.P., Fletcher, Mary T.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Chemical Society 17.07.2024
• Subjects: Agricultural and Environmental Chemistry; adsorbent; plant toxin; metabolite; biochar; Pimelea; mass spectrometry; bentonite; simplexin; rumen
• ISSN: 0021-8561; 1520-5118; 1520-5118
• DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.4c02082

Pimelea poisoning of cattle causes distinct symptoms and frequently death, attributable to the toxin simplexin. Pimelea poisoning was induced via addition of ground Pimelea trichostachya plant to the daily feed in a three-month trial with Droughtmaster steers. The trial tested four potential mitigation treatments, namely, biochar, activated biochar, bentonite, and a bacterial inoculum, and incorporated negative and positive control groups. All treatments tested were unable to prevent the development of simplexin poisoning effects. However, steers consuming a bentonite adsorbent together with Pimelea showed lesser rates-of-decline for body weight (P < 0.05) and four hematological parameters (P < 0.02), compared to the positive control group fed Pimelea only. Microbiome analysis revealed that despite displaying poisoning symptoms, the rumen microbial populations of animals receiving Pimelea were very resilient, with dominant bacterial populations maintained over time. Unexpectedly, clinical edema developed in some animals up to 2 weeks after Pimelea dosing was ceased.